Letters to Daddy
by Loverofallthingsmusic
Summary: "I love you, Daddy. Please come home soon!" Kelly write letters to her father, stationed over in Iraq during Desert Storm. Pre-series. Pure fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat in his tent. He ran his hands through his short, silver hair, as he looked at the family picture, taken only three weeks ago. He, his wife, Shannon, and his daughter, Kelly were at the beach. He had wanted to take one last trip before he deployed. Just in case he didn't come back.

Gibbs set his jaw. "Dammit," he scolded himself. "Don't talk like that! You _WILL_ return home."

He had had the camera set up on a timer. They had tried to remain serious for the picture, but had collapsed into a fit of laughter. Shannon was leaning on his arm, her eyes sparkling with mirth and mouth open in laughter. Kelly was pulled over his lap, as he tickled her mercilessly. He could still hear her squeals of delight. He was smiling one of his rare genuine smiles, as he looked at his family.

A shout of "Mail's here," broke him from his musings. He could here the stampede of boots outside his tent, running to be the first to get to the bags of mail. He knew that there would be smiles and laughter, and even tears as these men, his brothers, opened up letters and packages from their family and friends. There wasn't much to laugh about any more, not in this hell-hole anyway. Not with men dying left and right. He sighed and got up, tucking the picture into the pocket on his left breast. He walked out of his tent and ran straight into his tent mate, Staff Sergeant Matthew Barber.

"Hey, Gunny! Grabbed your mail for ya. It's nuts out there! A fist fight nearly broke out! One guy nearly punched another guy because the second guy had grabbed the first guy's mail-"

"Thanks, Matt," he interrupted, as he snatched the packet of letters offered to him out of Matt's hands. The packet was quite thick. He tore it open and two white envelopes fell out. One was thin, containing probably only one sheet of paper and addressed to _My Dearest Gibbs_ in Shannon's gorgeous cursive. The other was stuffed with multiple letters and addressed to _Daddy _in a childlike scrawl. He opened the thick envelope first, and seven sheets of paper fluttered to the ground, each one addressed and dated. He grabbed the one with the date of his deployment, _July 10, 1990_. He unfolded it and began to read.

_Dear Daddy..._

**A/N: Hey guys! This idea kinda just popped in my head. Hope y'all like it! Please review and give me your thoughts! Thanks! :)**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own any of these characters. They belong to CBS and Donald P. Bellisario. **


	2. Chapter 2

_July 10, 1990_

_Dear Daddy,_

_I miss you a lot! I was really sad when you left, but then Mommy said that I could write you a letter every single day. Then, once a week, she would put them all in an envelope and mail them to you! She said she would take them to the post office once a week, and the mailman would mail them all the way to where you are! She even gave me special letter-writing paper and a special letter-writing pen! I love my new pen. It's purple with pink flowers all over it! _

_After you left, Mommy took me to the pet shop and bought me a betta fish! _

Gibbs smiled, remembering his urging Shannon to go get Kelly a pet after he left.

_I named my golfish Fi because that's what you say all the time! Now, whenever I look at him, I can remember you! Fi is super cool. He's blue and has a purple and red tail! His tank has blue pebbles on the bottom. Mommy even bought a treasure chest that blows bubbles!_

_Mommy says I have to go practice piano now. I love you a lot, Daddy! Please come back soon._

_Love,_

_Kelly_

**A/N: Please review and let me know if you want me to continue or not! These letters are written by Kelly, who's only seven or eight at this point, so that's why they're full of seemingly irrelevant things. However, to Gibbs, who's away from his family, the things that she writes are about are very important. Again, please review! Thanks for reading this far! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_July 17th, 1990_

_Dear Daddy,_

_I got all of your letters today! I drew you a picture yesterday! It's a picture of me, you, and Mommy all together when you come back! And you won't ever have to go to war again!_

_I went to the pool with Maddie today. We had a lot of fun! I even jumped off of the diving board without any floaties on! I can swim really far, Daddy! I can't wait to show you! You're going to be so proud of me!_

_Next week I'm going to Grandma Joann's! Mommy and I are going to take the train! I'm really excited! I haven't seen Grandma Joann in a super long time!_

_I miss you, Daddy. I think Mommy does too. Sometimes I see her looking at your picture and she's crying! (Don't tell her that I told you, though.) Please come home soon! I love you lots, Daddy!_

_Love,_

_Kelly_

**A/N: Please review and let me know how I'm doing! Thanks for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_August 3rd, 1990_

_Dear Daddy,_

_I had so much fun at Grandma Joann's house! We did lots of shopping, got ice cream, and she even let me have a tea party! Grandma let me wear some of her old party clothes. I wore a dark blue dress, with a pretty red sash, and big, white, floppy hat! Mommy took a picture and sent it to you._

Gibbs put down Kelly's letter and retrieved the one that Shannon had sent him. He smiled at the small picture that was tucked neatly into the folds of the letter. Kelly looked like she was having so much fun. God, his baby girl had grown up so much in the month he was gone. He sighed a little, and kept reading Kelly's letter.

_We drank tea and ate these yummy snacks called scones. They were really good!_

_School starts in three weeks. I don't want to go back. Mommy said she'd take me for new school supplies though, so I guess it'll be okay. She said I could pick out whatever notebooks and folders I want!_

_My birthday is in one month! I'm really excited! Mommy told me not to tell you, but all I want for my birthday is for you to come home, Daddy. I really, really miss you! Please come home! I love you lots!_

_Love,_

_Kelly_

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited. I absolutely love it when those notifications show up in my email inbox! Please keep them coming! I love you guys so much and appreciate ALL of your feedback! :) :) :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_August 22nd, 1990_

_Dear Daddy,_

_Today was my first day of second grade. I'm in Ms. Jones's class. She's super nice. Maddy's also in my class! Ms. Jones even lets us sit next to each other! We did math, writing, and science. Then we had lunch. Mommy put a note that you had for me in my lunch box! That made me really, really happy! Then we got to go play on the playground during recess. Maddy and I were playing jump rope, when Johnny came up and pulled my hair! He's a big, fat meanie! I told him that you would beat him up if he did that again. He just laughed and ran away. Then I told Ms. Jones. He got in trouble and had to say, "Sorry". After recess, we went back inside and did reading and history. Then we got to go home._

_Mommy had cookies and milk waiting as a special snack! They were super yummy! Mommy says it's because of her secret ingredient: love. She says not to tell anybody the secret ingredient, but I can tell you, because you're my daddy! Shhhh! Don't tell anyone I told you though! Remember last year when you took me out for ice cream after my first day of first grade? Remember, I got chocolate chip cookie dough and you got strawberry? I really wish you were here, Daddy. Please come home! I have to go do homework now. Ick. I hate homework. Remember last year, you always helped me with my homework? I miss you so much! I love you!_

_Love,_

_Kelly_

**A/N: A huge thank you to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited! Please, keep the reviews coming! Be honest, too! Thanks so much for reading! Love you guys lots! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

_September 3rd, 1990 _

_Dear Daddy, _

_It's my birthday today! I can't believe I finally turned eight! I've been waiting for FOREVER to turn eight! I'm a big girl now! My birthday party's tomorrow! I'm super excited!_

_ Mommy made me go to school today, even though it was my birthday. We had special birthday cookies in class and I got to be line leader all day, so it was okay. When I came home, Mommy and I went shopping and I got a brand new dress! It's super pretty! It's green (Mommy says it looks really pretty against my red hair) and blue, with a black sash. Mommy said I could wear it to at the party tomorrow! _

_After we went shopping, we went to the Panda Buffet to get Chinese, my favorite! Then we went home and ate ice cream (It was Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, my favorite! Yum!). _

_I'm gotta go help Mommy make cupcakes for my party tomorrow. I love you, Daddy! I miss you soooo much! I wish you were here!_

_Love,_

_Kelly_

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the super late update! I've been really busy with school! Thanks for reading and please, please, PLEASE review! Thanks! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

_September 4th, 1990 _

_Dear Daddy, _

_My birthday party was today! It was so much fun! I wore my pretty new dress that I got yesterday! All my friends from school came: Maddy, Faith, Jessica, Danny, and Andrew. (Erica couldn't come though. She had a soccer game.) We played a lot of fun games, like tag, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, musical chairs, and hide-and-seek. Then we decorated the cupcakes Mommy and I made last night. We had a lot of candy and frosting to decorate them with! My cupcake had pink frosting, pink sprinkles, and pink jellybeans. It was super yummy! Mommy put a pink candle in the shape of an eight in the middle of my cupcake and lit it and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me. Then, we finally got to eat our cupcakes! Then, I got to open my presents! I got some clothes, money, and lots of lip gloss and nail polish. But the __BEST__ gift of all was from you and Mommy, the Easy Bake Oven! I __LOVE__ it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You and Mommy are the __BEST__! I can't wait until you come home so I can make you cakes and cupcakes and all sorts of yummy treats! _

_I have to go help Mommy clean up now. Promise me, next year that you'll be here for my 9th birthday party! Promise me, Daddy? Pretty please? I love you soooo much and missed you!_

_Love, _

_Kelly_

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update! Was on vacation! Please review! Thanks sooooo much for reading! Love you guys lots! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

_September 22, 1990_

_Dear Daddy, _

_I went to the San Diego Zoo today with my whole class! Mommy came along as a chaperone, too! We got to ride on the big-kid bus! It was lots of fun! I sat next to Maddie and Erica. Then we got there and we got to see lots and lots of animals! My favorites were the koala bears and the flamingos. The koala bears were super fluffy and cute! Did you know that they only eat leaves off of the eucalyptus tree, and they only live in Australia. They live in the zoo, too, but the zoo isn't in Australia, of course. I liked the flamingos because they're my favorite color, and they can balance on one leg. They're really stinky though! Ick! _

_I also liked all the other birds in the aviary! They were super colorful and pretty! A red parrot landed on my shoulder, and I got to feed it a treat out of my hand! _

_Can I have a bird? Please? Mommy said, "No birdies allowed, only fishies." But Daddy, I promise I'll take care it! I'll clean its cage and feed it and give it water every single day! Please, please, please?_

_Before we left, Johnny fell into the big fountain outside of the zoo! He got super wet! It was really funny and everyone laughed, but then Ms. Jones got mad and told us not to laugh because it's not nice to make fun._

_Remember when we went to the zoo together, before you left? We got ice cream, and you let me ride on your shoulders? Then, we went and saw all the animals! Remember how we got to feed the giraffes and how you put a piece of giraffe food between your lips and how the giraffe kissed you on the lips to get the food? Then we saw your favorite animal, the lion? And you showed me the daddy lion and the mommy lion and the baby lion, and you named them Daddy, Mommy, and Kelly! Remember? That was a lot of fun! We need to do that again when you get back, okay? _

_I miss you a lot! I really wish you were here. I love Mommy, but I want you! I love you all the way to Iraq and back! _

_Love, _

_Kelly_

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**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in forever! I had some writer's block, but now I think I've (somewhat) overcome it! :) Anyway, because of school and other prior committments, updates will be sporadic! Please review and let me know how I'm doing! Thanks guys! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_October 8th, 1990_

_Dear Daddy, _

_Grandma Joan came for a surprise visit today! I got home from school, and Grandma Joan was just sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me! _

_I don't like having her here, and I don't think Mommy does either. She was really bossy. She wasn't nice like she was when I went to her house this summer. Mommy says that's because she has her own agenda, but she's just being plain mean!_

_Mommy doesn't know this, but I heard her and Grandma Joan arguing. I think Grandma Joan wants me to go live with her! I heard her say that this was no life for a little girl! But Daddy! I don't want to move in with Grandma Joan! I'd have to leave you and Mommy and Fi and Maddie and all my other friends! I'd have to change schools, and every spring in Ms. Jones's class, we get to watch caterpillars change into butterflies! Daddy! I can't miss that! _

_Please, please do something Daddy! Please! You said you'd always protect Mommy and me! And Marines ALWAYS keep their word! Remember telling me that, Daddy? I really, really need you here! Don't let Grandma Joan take me away! Please, please come home! Mommy and I need you! Please?_

_Love, _

_Kelly_

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**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to shoppingnull who wanted more drama in my story! Hope you like it! Please review and let me know how I'm doing! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

_October 9th, 1990 _

_Dear Daddy, _

_Mommy sent me to spend the night with Maddie, while she and Grandma Joan had some "adult conversation." _

_Maddie and I had a lot of fun. We had already gotten all of our homework done, so we got to go outside and play! Mr. Tyler had raked up all the leaves in the yard, and he let us jump in them! We got them everywhere, so we had to help rake them up again. It was lots of fun, though! _

_After we finished helping to rake, we were super hungry, so we went inside and ate dinner. Then, we got to watch a movie. We watched Scooby-Doo: Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle. I really, really like Scooby-Doo! He's really, really funny! Scooby-Dooby-Doo! Out of all the people in Mystery Inc., I like Velma the best, because she's super smart! When I grow up, I want to become a detective, so I can solve mysteries and help people! Isn't that cool? I'm going to dress up like Velma for Halloween, that way I can be a pretend detective until I can be an actual detective._

_We had to go to bed after the movie, 'cause we had school in the morning._

_Ms. Tyler got us up, and Maddie and I had chocolate-chip pancakes. They were so good! Then, she dropped us off at school. _

_School was pretty good. Johnny pulled my hair again! I don't know what I'm going to do with him! Mommy picked me up. She said Grandma Joanne went back home. When I asked Mommy if Grandma Joanne was going to take me away to live with her, she got a funny look on her face. She shook her head and muttered to herself, "Little pitchers have big ears." When I asked her what that meant, she said I would understand when I got older. _

_I'm really, really glad I'm not going to live with Grandma Joanne. I don't think I would've liked living with her. _

_I miss you lots, Daddy. Come home soon, please? _

_Love, _

_Kelly_

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**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Love you guys! Please review! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_November 1st, 1990_

_Dear Daddy, _

_Yesterday was Halloween! I loved it! It was gobs of fun!_

_First, we had a Halloween party at school. Mommy let me wear two different costumes this year. For school, I got to be a ballerina. I already had my leotard, tutu, and ballet slippers, and Mommy just let me wear them to school. She also put my hair into a ballet bun and let me wear my tiara. She called me "The Queen of Ballerina." _

_Anyway, at the Halloween party, we had cupcakes with orange and black frosting, and they handed out bunches of candy to put in our trick-or-treat bags that we decorated. Some people decorated their bags with drawings of witches, ghosts, and goblins. I didn't. Those things scare me. I decorated mine with drawings and stickers of candy corn and happy black kitty-cats. _

_When I got home, I had to finish my homework and eat dinner before I could get ready to go out trick-or-treating. I'm went with Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and Maddie, because Mommy had to stay behind to hand out candy to the other trick-or-treaters. _

_I got dressed in my trick-or-treating costume. I was Velma from Scooby-Doo, just like I said I would be! I had a maroon skirt, beret, and shoes and orange socks and turtleneck that Mommy got for cheap at Goodwill. Mommy even had pretend glasses for me to wear! Daddy, I looked just like Velma! Mommy said if Velma and I were side-by-side, she wouldn't know who was who! _

_Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and Maddie came to get me. Maddie was a ballerina for the school party, but for trick-or-treating last night, she was a cowgirl. We went all over the neighborhood and got lots and lots of candy! Mrs. Allen was the nicest! She let both of us take two pieces of candy! _

_After the Tylers took me home, I got to sort and count all my candy. I got 48 pieces of candy total! Mommy even let me eat a piece before I went to bed! She put the rest up on top of the fridge, though. She said something about how she didn't need me on a sugar high for the next three days. What's a sugar high, Daddy? _

_I missed you a lot! Mr. Tyler was okay, but it just wasn't the same as having you here._

_Last year was so much fun! Remember how you got dressed up in your dress blues, and I wore my princess costume. You said you were the knight, sent by the King, to protect me from all the evil, fire-breathing dragons roaming around. I wish I had my knight with me this year, though. _

_Daddy, promise me next year you'll take me trick-or-treating, okay? Please, Daddy?_

_I love you so much! XOXO! (Mommy taught me what that meant a couple days ago. She said the "x's" mean "kisses" and the "o's" mean "hugs"!) _

_Love,_

_Kelly _

_P.S. Mommy sent you pictures of my two Halloween costumes! See, don't I look like Velma?_

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**A/N: Thanks for reading and please leave a review! Thanks! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

_November 13th, 1990_

_Dear Daddy, _

_Daddy, I'm sick. I woke up with a really, really bad sore throat. I tried eating breakfast, but I couldn't even swallow my oatmeal. When I told Mommy, she felt my head and said I needed to get back in bed "right this instant." She also said that I wasn't allowed to go to school! But Daddy, today we were learning about Pocahontas and the Indians and Pilgrims! We all got to dress up and pretend to be Indians and Pilgrims. Ms. Jones even said I could be Pocahontas! Daddy! It's not fair! _

_Then, she called Dr. Stephie, and she made an appointment. She bundled me up in a bunch of coats and blankets and took me to Dr. Stephie's office. The nurse took us back to the room. It was the Alice in Wonderland room, the one we ALWAYS get put in. The nurse took me to get weighed, took my temperature, and put my arm in that weird cuff-thingy...I think Mommy said that's the thing that takes your blood pressure. What's a blood pressure? _

_The nurse put me back in the room with Mommy, and then left. It was FOREVER (the big hand on Mommy's watch was on the two when I came back into the room. When Dr. Stephie came in, the big hand was on the ten!) until Dr. Stephie came into the room. That was okay, though, because Mommy let me a book to read. _

_Dr. Stephie listened to my heart and breathing. She took her light, and shined it down my throat and up my nose and in my ears. Then, she made me take the strep test AND the flu test! I remembered them from last year! Ick! She said the results would be back "soon." She came back a little later, and said I had strep throat. She gave Mommy a piece of a paper, then we checked out. Mommy said Dr. Stephie gave her a prescription for medicine that would make me feel better._

_We went to get the drugstore, and Mommy bought me a Popsicle while we waited for my medicine. Even though it was really cold outside, it tasted really good and made my throat feel a little better._

_When we got home, Mommy gave me some medicine and put me to bed. When I woke up, she brought me some hot chicken noodle soup. It was really good. _

_Then, we snuggled up and Mommy read me my favorite book of all time, __Little Women__. _

_Then, I fell back asleep. _

_Remember last year when I got sick with the flu? You called in sick and stayed home with me, and you read to me and snuggled with me! Then, you took me downstairs to watch you work on the boat. Remember? _

_I miss you a lot, Daddy! I really want you here right now! Love you lots! XOXOXO _

_Love, _

_Kelly _

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**A/N: As always, thanks for reading! Y'all are the reason why I keep writing! Please review!**


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